Michael DeMocker / The Times-PicayunePierre Thomas, who played collegiately at Illinois and had a standout performance last season against the Bears, likely will be a key for the Saints today. Temperatures are expected to be in the 20s, with the wind coming off the lake at Soldier Field.

CHICAGO - Revenge, it has been said, is a dish best served cold.

That's a good thing for the Saints, because if they hope to exact some revenge on the Chicago Bears tonight, they'll have to do so in frigid wintry conditions in Soldier Field, with temperatures expected to dip into the 20s while the wind whips off Lake Michigan.

The Saints' past two seasons ended here under similar conditions -- a 39-14 loss to the Bears in the NFC championship game after the 2006 season, then a 33-25 loss at Chicago in Week 17 last December, when the Saints went into the game with a slim mathematical shot at the playoffs.

Several players said this week that a little revenge would be nice, but mostly they just want to win this critical NFC showdown to avoid the same fate for the third year in a row.

The Saints (7-6) almost certainly need to win their final three games to have any chance at the playoffs.

"I think it really starts with staying alive in postseason contention," Saints Coach Sean Payton said. "If you said, 'What's the motivation?' or 'What's the sense of urgency?' It's knowing that the way the NFC is shaping up, these are all must-win games. I think that is most significant, rather than, 'Well, we haven't beaten this team the last two years.'

"I think it's playing to win so you can continue to play when the regular season is over."

Although the Bears might have earned some level of confidence and bragging rights the past two years, they are in the same boat as the Saints this season. Also 7-6, they are just as desperate to win tonight to keep alive their own flickering playoff hopes.

Although Chicago has a better chance to win its division, trailing NFC North leader Minnesota by one game, the Bears also are behind the Vikings in the tie-breakers.

"I definitely think (the intensity has increased) when you know there's no room for error," Chicago Coach Lovie Smith said. "Guys seem to be a little more focused. ... Guys seem to watch a little bit more video, ask a few more questions.

"It's the same thing that happens when a team gets in the playoffs. And that's how we're looking at this. We're looking at it like we're in the playoffs, and to keep playing, we have to win."

The Saints and Bears could have made things a lot easier on themselves -- and on each other -- if they hadn't blown golden opportunities earlier in the season.

New Orleans had a seven-point lead against the Vikings in the fourth quarter in Week 5 and had a chance to take a three-point lead in the final minutes, but kicker Martin Gramatica missed a 46-yard field-goal attempt.

Chicago, meanwhile, coughed up fourth-quarter leads against all three of the Saints' rivals in the NFC South.

The Bears led Carolina 17-3 in the third quarter in Week 2 before losing 20-17. They led Tampa Bay 24-14 with 3:11 remaining in Week 3 but wound up losing 27-24 in overtime. And their Week 6 loss to Atlanta was the worst of the bunch.

The Bears took a 20-19 lead with 11 seconds remaining, but after a short squib kickoff and a 26-yard pass from Matt Ryan to Michael Jenkins, the Falcons won on a last-second 48-yard field goal by Jason Elam as time expired.

Were it not for those three losses, Chicago would have started the season 8-0.

"But you can't really live in the past," said Smith, whose Bears have been radically inconsistent the past month, mixing in solid wins against Jacksonville and St. Louis with blowout losses to Minnesota and Green Bay. "What we're excited about now is we're still in the playoff push. And we still feel like we control what happens to us."

Like Smith, Payton said he believes the team's sense of urgency has helped to elicit its best performance. And the players agree.

"This is really a trying time right now, and we're seeing what guys are made of, their character," Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma said. "When you're 10-2 or 10-3, everybody has a great time, but you don't really know the character of your team. And I mean, it's been great.

"Coach challenged us last week to see who was going to step up, to see who was going to help the team or let the team down. And everybody did their part to help the team and win a game."

The challenge becomes even greater this week, considering all of the elements -- the short week of rest, the weather conditions and an opponent the Saints have struggled to match up with in recent years.

Chicago is a physical team that runs and stops the run effectively. Saints defensive tackle Kendrick Clancy said the Bears are the best in the league "from guard to guard." Conventional wisdom suggests that's what it takes to win in these conditions.

The Saints, meanwhile, are a terrific passing team built more on speed than power -- although they proved they can run the ball effectively, with tailbacks Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush combining for 182 yards rushing last week.

No doubt, Payton will be battling his inner play-calling demons throughout the game against a Bears defense that is much more vulnerable against the pass, ranking 28th in the NFL (234.2 yards passing per game).

"It's going to be a tough game, a hard-nosed tough game," Thomas said. "A short, quick week. Both teams are going to have guys banged up, but you have to fight through that."

"There's a lot on the line," Thomas said, but he added, "That gives you a big rush."

BROWN OUT: Left tackle Jammal Brown won't play tonight because of a sprained left ankle. Brown and Payton said they hope he'll be back in the lineup next week. Brown said he thinks he would've been able to go if the game were Sunday instead of Thursday.

Zach Strief, who is in his third year, will replace Brown in the lineup. Strief has started two games in his career at left tackle -- one each in 2006 and 2007 -- and he has filled in this year at left and right tackle.

Strief is also familiar with the Chicago weather. He was a four-year starter at Northwestern, although Payton joked that he was used to playing in front of 28,000 fans then instead of 61,000.

"Just like it's always been, I'm going to try to step up and do my best to replace Jammal and keep our offense moving," Strief said.

Tailback Deuce McAllister missed practice Wednesday because of his grandfather's death. It wasn't clear if McAllister made the trip to Chicago with the team Wednesday evening or if he will join them today.

Defensive end Will Smith was back Wednesday after missing Tuesday's practice for the birth of his son, Wynter. Smith and McAllister are both eligible to play tonight while their suspensions remain on hold.

Mike Triplett can be reached at mtriplett@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3405.